It's a sound card mode, OM. Not unlike PSK31 or FT8. In fact, kind of like a mashup between the two. Some of the weak signal performance of FT8, but with the ability to send macros and text like PSK31. The downside? It simply has not caught on. There's a little activity, but not much. Part of it is the software...while it's got a lot of spiffy features...most of those are things the average OM will never use and tend to make using the program a little more non-intuitive than it could be. However, I like it and would use it more frequently if there were more stations to work.
I will say it has a learning curve. The program does a lot - IMHO too much - and it takes a bit of doing to get used to it. You can do just the canned queries and responses, but you also can talk about your latest antenna project or what kind of shotgun you like for goose hunting or whatever. Most activity seems to be on 40 and 20, so I would start looking there.
If I had the skills I would write JS8Call- Lite without all the stuff I never use and make it really obvious who I was talking to. Just the last few weeks it seems way more active than before.
I just fired up the program and updated it...I was still on v1.something...and I did see three or four stations on 20. So maybe there's life in it yet.
I have exchanged JS-8 reports and station info with ZS stations but unfortunately they weren't at the keyboard at the time I contacted their station. Many functions from my previous favorite FSQ with even more features. If you re bored with FT8 but want real QSOs using low power and mediocre antennas, this is the ticket. The best of keyboard modes IMHO until something better is invented. When signals permit(-14-15 or better) Fast mode yields 40wpm....belter than my typing speed.
OK...as I said yesterday, I updated the program (it's really a fine piece of software), and got on and worked quite a few OMs on 40 and 20. There was considerable activity this afternoon on 20 and late this afternoon on 40 despite it being a Monday. It was fun and I now believe the mode does have a future.
Thank you for the great presentation. I am trying this new mode for first time and made a few QSOs. One thing that would be nice is a 'best practices' doc or presentation so I know I am not just creating QRM.
Unless you set auto-CQ to every minute I doubt you can make much QRM. One way to save spectrum I think is once you get into a QSO, move your frequency onto the other station. You can't both send at once and still see each other anyway, so no reason to remain spread out. This is a huge shift in thinking from PSK - you do NOT have to on the other station for a QSO and this can be confusing at first. The program reads all data from all stations at once and can pick out messages directed to you no matter if you are on the other stations or not.
